Welcome to the Land of Enchantment! I love New Mexico. There is just something cool about the desert and mountains of this state. 

You are in the Mountain Time Zone and just gained an hour. Set your clock back.

Rest Area

This is a nice rest stop with bathrooms and I am betting they also have free maps and coffee.

Exit 369 NM-93 S/NM-392 N/Endee

There is a gas station and a truck stop to the north of this exit.

Exit 361 Bard

There are no services at this exit.

Weigh Station/Port of Entry

Exit 356 NM-469 San Jon

A service station does exist in San Jon. There is not a lot here I would pass this for now.

I always have.

Exit 343 

The sign confirms that there is nothing here.

Exit 339 NM-278

If you haven’t noticed you are really in the middle of nowhere. It gets better I promise.

Exit 335 I-40 Business W/ Historic Route 66

This takes you into the east end of Tucumcari where there are several budget hotels and a service station.

Exit 333 US-54/ Mountain Rd

There is a Love’s Travel Stop and a Flying J at this exit along with some fast food options. You can also go north into Tucumcari. The first and last time I stayed in Tucumcari I was pleasantly surprised that the little grocery store on the main drag had pretty good beer prices. I was expecting to get fleeced on a six pack, but ended up texting a pic of Guinness Draft to my dad showing him how cheap it was.

Exit 332 NM-209/1st St/ NM-104

There are a couple of hotels and some fast food at this exit. You can also go north to the original Route 66 and the main drag of Tucumcari.

Exit 331 Camino Del Coronado

The fairgrounds are at this exit, but nothing else of much interest.

Exit 329 I-40 Business E/Historic Route 66

This will take you into the west end of Tucumcari. There is nothing immediate at this exit, you will have to drive back into Tucumcari. 

Exit 321 Palomas

There are no services at this exit, unless you own the ranch on the south side of the interstate.

Exit 311 Montoya

There are no services at this exit.

Rest Area

Nice modern restrooms. No maps or free coffee.

Exit 300 NM-129 Newkirk

A three street town with two gas stations. I would pass on this exit.

Exit 291 Cuervo

No immediate services at this exit.

Exit 277 US-84 Ft Sumner

This is the eastside of Santa Rosa which is a nice little town. There is a Love’s Travel Stop along with a couple of other truck stops. There are a couple of nice hotels as well.

Carlsbad Caverns Sign

The sign before the exit informs us that Carlsbad Caverns is only 235 miles south via US-54 then US-285.

This is a great trip if you want to wander off the mother road for a day or two. The caverns are not the Grand Canyon thrill, but it is not far off as unforgettable experiences go. Carlsbad itself is a great small town with a couple of other attractions. I am here to tell you that New Mexico has some small towns with great vibes. Roswell is another favorite if you ever get the chance. Back to our regular programming.

Exit 275 US-54 S/ Santa Rosa

There are some fast food options and service stations at this exit. 

Besides the option to go to Carlsbad this exit features the Blue Hole. Which is a Cenote here in Santa Rosa. It is definitely worth the stop. It just keeps adding to all the reasons I always love driving through New Mexico. 

Being a kid that grew up reading old west tales it gets even better when you start realizing that you are traversing areas that Billy the Kid haunted in his short life.

Exit 273 Santa Rosa

No immediate services at this exit. This will take you back into Santa Rosa, but it is a bit of a drive. If you wanted to visit Santa Rosa you should have exited earlier.

Exit 267 Colonias

There are a couple of service stations at this exit, but I would pass and hope you filled up on fuel previously.

Exit 263 San Ignacio

There are no services at this exit.

Exit 256 US-84 N/ Las Vegas

No services at this exit. 

This is not an exit for Sin City, this is for Las Vegas NM, that exit will come later in Arizona.

Rest Area

Nice rest stop with bathrooms.

Exit 243 

There is a small service station at this exit. Absolutely nothing else.

Both of these exits have a sign that says exit 243.  One of the strangest things I have ever seen, but since it is in the middle of nowhere it really doesn’t do any harm. No harm no foul.

Exit 243 

You can backtrack to the gas station if you missed it, which is why they made this exit in my opinion.

Exit 239 County Road CO53

There is nothing at this exit except a lonely county road. Let’s keep it that way.

Exit 234 

This exit features Bowlin’s Flying C Ranch which are really well run gift shops. So if you want to get out and walk around in the air conditioning this is not a bad stop. Bowlin boasts ten travel stops in New Mexico and Arizona. They are very clean and usually have an interesting theme such as the continental divide on both I-40 and I-10. 

Exit 234  

Same scenario as exits 243 and 243 nine miles back. This is just a chance to backtrack to Bowlin’s.

Exit 230 NM-3/Encino/Villanueva

Conserve power steering fluid and keep going straight on I-40. There is nothing remotely close to this exit.

Exit 226

There are no services at this exit and New Mexico officially clinches the award for most exit signs with no description as to what is there. Don’t get me wrong I love traveling New Mexico, but never really noticed this until I started scrutinizing every exit.

Parking Area

Just a car park with no bathrooms.

Exit 218 US-285/Vaughn/Santa Fe

There is a truck stop here at Clines Corners.

Exit 208 Wagon Wheel

No immediate services at this exit

Rattlesnake Draw Rest Area

A car park with a sign warning you to beware of snakes. There are bathrooms, but no free coffee or maps.

Exit 203

Truth in advertising there is nothing at this exit.

Exit 197 I-40 Business Moriarty

There is a little of everything at this exit. There are hotels, gas stations, and restaurants.  There is a Blake’s Lot-A-Burger which is a New Mexico staple as you pass through town.

Exit 196 NM-41 Howard Cavasos Blvd/ Estancia/Santa Fe

This exit is more of Moriarty. You can access more restaurants and service stations at this exit.

Exit 194 I-40 Business Moriarty

This exit will take you back through Moriarty if you changed your mind about holding out for Albuquerque which is not far away.

Exit 187 NM-344 S/Edgewood

This is not a quick off and back on exit. There are gas stations and restaurants, but it will not be a fast stop. This exit has the Wildlife Nature Park & Zoo.

Exit 181 NM-217 Sedillo

There are no immediate services at this exit. You are starting to see the mountains that surround Albuquerque. This city is gorgeous with the mountains surrounding it.

Exit 178 Zuzax

There is a service station on the south side of the interstate. I would pass since there are much better options coming up.

Exit 175 NM-14/NM-333/NM-337/Tijeras/ Cedar Crest

No service close by at this exit.

Exit 170 

Just like the sign there is nothing at this exit.

Exit 167 Central Ave/Tramway Blvd

Plenty of fuel and fast food options at this exit.

Exit 166 Juan Tabo Blvd

This is not the ideal exit. There are restaurants, but they will take a while to get to. More choices are available at other exits.

Exit 165 Eubank Blvd

There are restaurants and shopping off of this exit.

Exit 164 Wyoming Blvd

This is not the best exit, not much immediately available.

Exit 162 Louisiana Blvd

There are a fair amount of restaurants and other shops at this exit. There is a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse at this exit if you feel like splurging today.

Exit 161 San Mateo Blvd

This exit will have some fast food available as well as other shopping options.

Exit 160 Carlisle Blvd

More fast food and shopping.

Exit 159D University Blvd/ 2nd-4th St 

This is not a bad exit for restaurants and hotels.

Exit 159C I-25 North Santa Fe

This will take you to Santa Fe or North Albuquerque. There are nice hotel options if you go north here.

Exit 159B I-25 South Las Cruces

This goes towards the airport and downtown Albuquerque.

Exit 158 6th St/12th St

Gas Stations and restaurants are both available at this exit.

Exit 157A Rio Grande Blvd

Several gas stations and restaurants at this exit

Exit 155 NM-45 N Coors Blvd N/NM-45 S Coors Blvd S

There is a Walmart just north of this exit. Coors Blvd has a lot of nice shopping and restaurant options.

There are several nice hotels on this exit. It would be my choice to stay as the area is pretty nice.

Exit 154 Unser Blvd

This is really not a good exit to take as all the fast food is not immediately off the interstate. It is primarily a residential area.

Exit 153 98th St/Arroyo Vista Blvd

Most of the services are well off the interstate at this exit. If you do take it go south to Central Ave as there are quite a few options there.

Exit 149  NM-500 Atrisco Vista Blvd

If you're looking for a Love’s Travel stop there is one at this exit. It is otherwise primarily an industrial exit.

Exit  140 Rio Puerco

There is a 66 Pit Stop that his home of the Laguna Burger. It has pretty good reviews and there is a casino across the street.

Exit 131 Tohajiilee

The name is much more interesting than the exit as there is nothing for miles off this exit.

Tohajiilee is a faction of the Navajo Indian tribe that was viewed as a renegade segment of the regular Navajo tribe. 

Exit 126 NM-6 Los Lunas 60

There are no services at this exit. Los Lunas is a long way off this exit.

Exit 117 Mesita

There are no services off of this exit.

Exit 114 NM-124 Laguna

Limited services available at this exit.

Parking Area

I think scenic outlook is the better description for this offramp. No bathrooms, maps, or coffee at this rest area.

Exit 108 Casa Blanca/Paraje

There is a truck stop on the south side of this exit.

Exit 104 Cubero/Budville/Seama

No immediate services at this exit.

Exit 102 Acomita/Acoma/Sky City

Sky City Casino Hotel, fast food, and fuel at this exit.

Exit 100 San Fidel

There is not much at this exit.

Exit 96 McCartys/Acoma/ Sky City

No immediate services at this exit.

Exit 89 Quemado

There is a truck stop at this exit.

Exit 85 I-40 Business/NM-122/NM-547/Grants/Mt Taylor

There is a very convenient Walmart off of this exit to the north. There are a couple of hotels and some restaurants.

Exit 81 I-40 Business/NM-53/NM-122/Grants/San Rafael

There are some restaurants at this exit, but they are a bit off the beaten path.

Exit 79 I-40 Business/NM-122/NM-605/Milan/San Mateo

A Love’s Travel stop is off of this exit along with a grocery store.

Exit 72 Bluewater Village

There is a service station with a convenience store off of this exit, but not much else.

Exit 63 NM-412 Prewitt

This exit is a pass for me with no services immediately available.

Exit 53 NM-612/NM-371/Thoreau

There is a Market Deli right off the exit. Everything else is far off the beaten path.

Exit 47 Continental Divide

There is a service station at this exit.

Exit 44 Coolidge

Nothing to see here.

Exit 39 Refinery

There is a Flying J Truck stop and a Denny’s at this exit.

Exit 36 NM-618/Iyanbito

There are no services at this exit. It is an easy way on to Old Route 66 that you can take into Gallup.

Exit 33 NM-400 S/ McGaffey 

There is a Fort Wingate historical marker on the south side of the interstate. Nothing else of interest at this exit.

Exit 26 I-40 Business E. Gallup

This exit puts you on the old Route 66 through Gallup, lots of hotels and restaurants.

Exit 22 Miyamura Dr/Montoya Blvd

There are lots more restaurants off this exit in Gallup. We ate at the Sizzlin off this exit last time through and I was pleasantly surprised how much you got at the salad bar at lunch. 

Exit 20 Munoz Blvd

Lots of restaurants and hotels at this exit.

Exit 16 I-40 Business/NM-118/W Gallup

A couple of restaurants and hotels, but mainly the last of Gallup.

Exit 8 Defiance/Manuelito

There are no immediate services at this exit. Next stop is Arizona!